Head fragment

The terracotta appliqué mask was purchased by Stein, together with other terracotta figures, in Khotan. Khotan was a major kingdom on the southern branch of the Silk Road and also a major centre of Buddhism. Many of these terracottas were used as appliqué ornamentation on pottery vessels.

Female head

The head of a female with an elaborate hairstyle originally belonged to a figurine. There is an intact example from the Stein collection in the British Museum that shows a matronly woman cloaked in a long coat with hanging sleeves. Beside the elaborate hair styles, these terracotta female heads usually display facial tattoos. Stein purchased it around the village of Yotkan in the Borazan region of Khotan, which was identified with the ancient capital of the kingdom of Khotan.

Bird

The tiny terracotta bird with a large crest with incised decoration and pierced for suspension was purchased in Khotan by Sir Aurel Stein. Most of the terracottas seem to have been found on the surface and not within excavations.